Method for facilitating navigation and selection functionalities of a trackball incorporated upon a wireless handheld communication device

ABSTRACT

Method an arrangement for facilitating the use of a trackball on a wireless handheld communication device as a navigation tool and a selection tool of designated information presented on a display screen of the device. A wireless handheld communication device is provided that has at a front face thereof a display screen located above a keyboard suitable for accommodating textual input. A depressible trackball functions as a navigation tool for moving a cursor about on the display screen when rolled and as a selection tool when sufficiently depressed. Cursor movement is affected by digitally engaging the trackball and maintaining the trackball in a navigation zone depth within the device. Selection of designated information is affected by depressing the trackball a predefined amount. The wireless handheld communication device is configured so that no cursor movement is affected by rolling movement of the trackball when in the selection zone.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication Nos. 60/773,145 filed 13 Feb. 2006 and 60/773,799 filed 14Feb. 2006. The present application is also a continuation-in-part ofU.S. application Ser. Nos. 11/423,740 and 11/423,779, each filed 13 Jun.2006. Said applications are expressly incorporated herein by referencein their entireties.

FIELD

The present disclosure is directed toward a wireless handheldcommunication device that utilizes a trackball as a user auxiliary inputtool; and more particularly, to the use of such a trackball to guide acursor about a display screen of the communication device using rollingaction of the trackball, as well as select highlighted or otherwisedesignated information on the screen using a click or depression actionon the trackball.

BACKGROUND

With the advent of more robust wireless communications systems,compatible handheld communication devices are becoming more prevalent,as well as advanced. In a broader sense, these devices are referred toas handheld electronic devices, which include devices withoutcommunication functions. Where in the past such handheld communicationdevices typically accommodated either voice (cell phones) or texttransmission (pagers and PDAs), today's consumer often demands acombination device capable of performing both types of transmissions,including sending and receiving e-mail. The suppliers of such mobilecommunication devices and underlying service providers are anxious tomeet these demands, but the combination of voice and textual messaging,as well as other functionalities such as those found in PDAs, havecaused designers to have to improve the means by which information isinput into the devices by the operator, as well as provide betterfacilitation for the operator/user to navigate within the menus and iconpresentations necessary for efficient operator interface with these morecomplicated devices.

For many reasons, screen icons are often utilized in such handheldcommunication devices as a way to allow operators to make feature and/orfunction selections. Among other reasons, operators are accustomed tosuch icon representations for function selection. A prime example is thepersonal computer “desktop” presented by Microsoft's Windows® operatingsystem. Because of the penetration of such programs into the usermarkets, most electronics users are familiar with what has basicallybecome a convention of icon-based functionality selections. Even withmany icons presented on a personal computer's “desktop”, however, usernavigation and selection among the different icons is easilyaccomplished utilizing a conventional mouse and employing thepoint-and-click methodology. The absence of such a mouse from thesehandheld wireless communication devices, however, has caused a differentprotocol to develop for icon navigation and selection.

As depicted in FIG. 1, the icons (squares 1, 2, 3 and 4) displayed onthe screen of the device are typically presented in an array of uniformrows and columns. As an example, a home screen might present icons fortelephone, e-mail, calendar and contact functions. Because there is no“mouse,” other auxiliary navigational tools are typically provided foroperator manipulation in affecting movement between the different iconson a handheld device. Such navigational tools have included rotatablethumb wheels, joysticks, touchpads, four-way cursors and the like. Inthe present description, a trackball is also disclosed as a navigationaltool for enabling an operator to move about displayed icons. Thenavigational tool is a type of auxiliary input device and hereinbelowthe navigational tool maybe described more generally as an auxiliaryuser input.

In the trackball instance, current technology calls for the utilizationof paired sensors located about the trackball for sensing rotationalmotion of the trackball which is representative of the desired directionthe user would like the cursor to move on the screen, including ahighlighting cursor that moves discretely amongst screen-displayedicons. The trackball itself is capable of free rotation within itsreceiving socket which gives the operator an impression that he or shecan direct cursor motion on the screen (be it an icon highlightingcursor or a more traditional cursor such as a floating arrowhead) in anydirection desired within the area of the display screen.

Not only is the trackball enabled for directing cursor movement on thedisplay screen, but the ball itself is configured to be depressible sothat when actuated (depressed), a selection is made just as if anequivalent button had been depressed. In this manner, the trackball isprovided at least with dual functionality (navigation and selection). Byproviding this dual functionality in the trackball, inclusion of such anequivalent button is avoided thereby preserving prime “real estate” onthe device for other uses. A problem, however, exists between thisduality in functionality of the trackball and the manner in which anoperator typically engages the trackball for depressed actuation. Veryrarely will the operator's finger/thumb come directly down upon thetrackball when press-engaging. Instead, initial engagement is nearlyalways a “glancing” engagement which means that the operator's digit isnot only coming down on the trackball, but is also travelingthereacross. This sideways engagement induces rolling in the trackballthat in some instances can cause the cursor to move from the intendedlocation before depressed actuation (highlighted information selection)is accomplished. If this results, a wrong selection is highly likely.Therefore one aspect of the present disclosure details how to preventsuch inadvertent cursor movement when in fact it is depressed actuationand selection that the operator intends.

Another constraint of the paired sensor configuration described above isthat even though the trackball enjoys free rotation, its rotationalmovement must be resolved into X and Y components via the motionsensors. Therefore, movement between icons has been limited to up, downand sideways motion. More specifically, diagonal movement between iconshas not been previously facilitated. As an example, and returning againto FIG. 1, if the operator desired to move from icon “1” to icon “4”,execution would have to be either over to icon “2” and down to icon “4”or down to icon “3” and over to icon “4”. A similar situation existswhen navigating across such applications as spreadsheets composed of agrid of cells where diagonal cell-to-cell movement can be desirable, butuntil now, undesirable zigzag cursor motion has been required.

Since these limitations are counterintuitive given the fact thetrackball enjoys free rotation but the operator cannot move diagonallyfrom icon to icon in a single step, frustration and productdissatisfaction are likely. Therefore, a primary aspect of the presentlydisclosed solution is the enablement of such direct diagonal movementbetween icons, even when the signals developed using the navigationaltool are X and Y direction limited.

It should be appreciated that the examples of icon and spreadsheetnavigation present a special problem typically not encountered whennavigating across continuous screen fields such as, for example, whencursor-traversing a map that is presented on the screen. In the instanceof at least trackball navigation, the individual X and Y signalcomponents will normally be fine (small) enough to even be executed on apixel-by-pixel basis. As a result, in most cases, the operator will notbe able to visually detect that he or she is getting X-Y steppedmovement of the cursor; to the eye, the steps are so small(pixel-by-pixel) that the cursor appears to be moving on a diagonal orsmooth curve when accordingly directed. It should be appreciated,however, that there are certain configurations in which the X-Y limitedmovement is not sufficiently fine and the operator perceives anundesirable zig-zag motion of the cursor. Therefore the presentlypresented solutions focus on enabling an operator to diagonally navigatea cursor on a screen of a handheld electronic device by “blending” X andY direction signals into diagonal signals for affecting diagonal cursormovement, and particularly in environments such as icon fields andspreadsheet matrices, and especially without experiencing undue delay orlag between the input of the instruction and the cursor's actualmovement.

In another aspect, because these handheld electronic devices are gettingsubstantially smaller and users are demanding greater and constantaccess, the devices are often carried in the user's pocket. Furthermore,since the trackball is exposed and rotates freely at the surface of thedevice, it is susceptible to unintentional and usually undesirablerotation. As an example, this can occur when the user places thehandheld electronic device in his or her pocket and the rubbing of thefabric against the trackball causes unintentional rolling of thetrackball. The undesirable nature of this occurrence is at least partlyattributable to the fact that actuation of a device's navigation tooltraditionally restores power to the screen (after having entered a sleepmode) because it is usually interpreted as an indication that the userwants to use the device in some capacity. Therefore, if the trackball isfrequently unintentionally actuated, the screen will be litunnecessarily, wasting battery power.

As described above, in the instance of a trackball being used as thenavigation tool, sensors are required to detect motion of the trackball.Therefore, in order to be able to detect rollerball motion indicative ofdesired use, the sensors must always be powered-on which consumes energyand reduces the energy savings experienced because the screen has beenput into sleep mode.

The present disclosure is directed toward minimizing or eliminating thedeficiencies outlined above and which would otherwise prevail except forthe mitigating solutions described and disclosed herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary methods and arrangements conducted and configured according tothe advantageous solutions presented herein are depicted in theaccompanying drawings where in:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a handheld communication device cradledin a user's hand and displaying an array of four icons (1, 2, 3 and 4)on a screen thereof, as well as a blown-up cutaway elevational detail ofthe trackball depicting that navigation and selection zones ofdepression;

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of an auxiliary user input in theform of a trackball;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary wireless handheldelectronic device incorporating a trackball assembly as at the auxiliaryuser input;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for preventedunintended cursor movement on the display screen when the trackball isbeing press-actuated;

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary QWERTY keyboard layout;

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary QWERTZ keyboard layout;

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary AZERTY keyboard layout;

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary Dvorak keyboard layout;

FIG. 9 illustrates a QWERTY keyboard layout paired with a traditionalten-key keyboard;

FIG. 10 illustrates ten digits comprising the numerals 0-9 arranged ason a telephone keypad, including the * and # astride the zero;

FIG. 11 illustrates a numeric phone key arrangement according to the ITUStandard E.161 including both numerals and letters;

FIG. 12 is a front view of an exemplary handheld electronic deviceincluding a full QWERTY keyboard;

FIG. 13 is a front view of another exemplary handheld electronic deviceincluding a full QWERTY keyboard;

FIG. 14 is a front view of an exemplary handheld electronic deviceincluding a reduced QWERTY keyboard;

FIG. 15 is an elevational view of the front face of another exemplaryhandheld electronic device including a reduced QWERTY keyboard;

FIG. 16 is a detail view of the reduced QWERTY keyboard of device ofFIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a detail view of an alternative reduced QWERTY keyboard; and

FIG. 18 is a block diagram representing a wireless handheldcommunication device interacting in a communication network.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As intimated hereinabove, one of the more important aspects of the typesof handheld electronic devices to which this disclosure is directed istheir size. While some users will grasp the device in both hands, it isintended that a predominance of users will cradle the device in one handin such a manner that input and control over the device can be affectedusing the thumb of the same hand in which the device is held. Thereforethe size of the device must be kept relatively small; of its dimensions,limiting the width of the device is most important with respect toassuring cradleability in a user's hand. Moreover, it is preferred thatthe width of the device be maintained at less than ten centimeters(approximately four inches). Keeping the device within these dimensionallimits provides a hand cradleable unit that users prefer for itsuseability and portability. Limitations with respect to the height(length) of the device are less stringent with importance placed onmaintaining device hand-cradleability. Therefore, in order to gaingreater size, the device can be advantageously configured so that itsheight is greater than its width, but still remain easily supported andoperated in one hand.

A potential problem is presented by the small size of the device in thatthere is limited exterior surface area for the inclusion of user inputand device output features. This is especially true for the “prime realestate” of the front face of the device where it is most advantageous toinclude a display screen that outputs information to the user and whichis preferably above a keyboard utilized for data entry into the deviceby the user. If the screen is provided below the keyboard, a problemoccurs in being able to see the screen while inputting data. Thereforeit is preferred that the display screen be above the input area, therebysolving the problem by assuring that the hands and fingers do not blockthe view of the screen during data entry periods.

To facilitate textual data entry, an alphabetic keyboard is provided. Inone version, a full alphabetic keyboard is utilized in which there isone key per letter. This is preferred by some users because it can bearranged to resemble a standard keyboard with which they are mostfamiliar. In this regard, the associated letters can be advantageouslyorganized in QWERTY, QWERTZ or AZERTY layouts, among others, therebycapitalizing on certain users' familiarity with these special letterorders. In order to stay within the bounds of a limited front surfacearea, however, each of the keys must be commensurately small when, forexample, twenty-six keys must be provided in the instance of the Englishlanguage. An alternative configuration is to provide a reduced keyboardin which at least some of the keys have more than one letter associatedtherewith. This means that fewer keys can be included which makes itpossible for those fewer keys to each be larger than in the instancewhen a full keyboard is provided on a similarly dimensioned device. Someusers will prefer the solution of the larger keys over the smaller ones,but it is necessary that software or hardware solutions be provided inorder to discriminate which of the several associated letters the userintends based on a particular key actuation; a problem the full keyboardavoids. Preferably, this character discrimination is accomplishedutilizing disambiguation software accommodated within the device. Aswith the other software programs embodied within the device, a memoryand microprocessor are provided within the body of the handheld unit forreceiving, storing, processing, and outputting data during use.Therefore, the problem of needing a textual data input means is solvedby the provision of either a full or reduced alphabetic keyboard on thepresently disclosed handheld electronic device.

Keys, typically of a push-button or push-pad nature, perform well asdata entry devices but present problems to the user when they must alsobe used to affect navigational control over a screen-cursor. In order tosolve this problem the present handheld electronic device preferablyincludes an auxiliary input that acts as a cursor navigational tool andwhich is also exteriorly located upon the front face of the device. Itsfront face location is particularly advantageous because it makes thetool easily thumb-actuable like the keys of the keyboard. A particularlyusable embodiment provides the navigational tool in the form of atrackball which is easily utilized to instruct two-dimensional screencursor movement in substantially any direction, as well as act as anactuator when the ball of the trackball is depressible like a button.The placement of the trackball is preferably above the keyboard andbelow the display screen; here, it avoids interference duringkeyboarding and does not block the user's view of the display screenduring use.

In some configurations, the handheld electronic device may be standalonein that it is not connectable to the “outside world.” One example wouldbe a PDA that stores such things as calendars and contact information,but is not capable of synchronizing or communicating with other devices.In most situations such isolation will be detrimentally viewed in thatat least synchronization is a highly desired characteristic of handhelddevices today. Moreover, the utility of the device is significantlyenhanced when connectable within a system, and particularly whenconnectable on a wireless basis in a system in which both voice and textmessaging are accommodated.

In at least one embodiment, the presently disclosed solutions aredirected toward facilitating the use of a depressible trackball 150 on awireless handheld communication device 300 as a navigation tool and aselection tool relative to information presented on a display screen 322of the device 300 as depicted in FIG. 1. Therein, the provision of awireless handheld communication device 300 is illustrated, grasped in auser's hand, and comprising at a front face thereof the display screen322 located above a keyboard 332 suitable for accommodating textualinput to the device 300. The device 300 includes the depressibletrackball 150 that functions as a navigation tool for moving a cursor171 about on the display screen 322 when rolled and functions as aselection tool for selecting cursor-highlighted or otherwise designatedinformation 172 on the display screen 332 when sufficiently depressed.As with a depressible button, the trackball 150 is configured to affectan actuation or selection function when depressed to a prescribeddegree. Those persons skilled in these arts will recognize that anynumber of technical solutions may be employed for determining that anactuation or selection event has been user-initiated by sufficientlydepressing the trackball. Examples include the tripping of a contactswitch, completing a monitored circuit or breaking a light beam. Asshown in the blowup of FIG. 1, actuation/selection determination canalso be made based on the trackball's 150 position which is exemplarilydetermined using a sensor 169 located below the trackball 150 and whichmeasures the distance therebetween. Such a sensor 169 could be acousticor light-wave based. Regardless of the technical means employed, thefunction is to detect when the trackball 150 has been depressed to apredetermined “actuation point,” normally against a biasing force thatkeeps the trackball in an elevated, unactuated configuration unlessurged thereaway from.

Cursor navigation is affected about the display screen 322 by digitally(finger or thumb) engaging the trackball 150 and maintaining thetrackball 150 in a navigation zone 167 that spans a predefined depthinto the device 300 down from an unactuated position of the trackball150 as depicted in FIG. 1. Cursor movement about the display screen 322is caused by rolling the trackball 150 while the trackball 150 islocated in the navigation zone 167. For clarity, it should beappreciated that the navigation zone 167 includes the non-depressed(unactuated) position of trackball 150.

The selection of highlighted or otherwise designated information 172 isaffected on the display screen 322 by digitally depressing the trackball150 into a selection zone 168 that is a predefined depth into the device300 below the navigation zone 167 (see FIG. 1). Further, the wirelesshandheld communication device 300 is configured so that no cursormovement is affected by rolling movement of the trackball 150 when thetrackball 150 is positioned within the selection zone 168.

The flow chart of FIG. 4 typifies the method described immediatelyabove; in one step, a wireless handheld communication device is providedthat has a depressible trackball that functions as a navigation tool anda selection tool (410). In another step, cursor navigation is affectedabout the display screen by digitally engaging and rolling the trackballwhile the trackball is in the navigation zone (420). A selection isaffected of highlighted or otherwise designated information on thescreen by digitally depressing the trackball into the selection zonewhich is below the navigation zone (430). In order to complete themethod, cursor movement is prevented when the trackball is in theselection zone (440).

As an example, cursor movement is prevented by disregarding cursormovement signals generated by one or more trackball rotational movementsensors 160, 162, 164 and 166 when the trackball 150 is located in theselection zone 168.

Such disregard of cursor movement signals from the sensors 160, 162, 164and 166 is accomplished using an incorporated (programmed)filter-function associated with an integrated controller (microprocessor338, see FIG. 18) of the wireless handheld communication device 300. Thefilter-function nullifies the cursor movement signals when the trackball150 is located in the selection zone 168. As will be appreciated bythose person's skilled in the art, the nullification of the cursormovement signals can be accomplished using an arithmetic-basedfilter-function, a time-based window filter-function or the like.

In one embodiment, whether the trackball 150 is located in thenavigation zone 167 or the selection zone 168 is sensed and acursor-control routine is implemented via the integrated microprocessorcontroller 338 that is tailored for the particular zone within which thetrackball 150 is sensed to be located.

In a related embodiment, the navigation/selection process/methodoutlined in FIG. 4 initiates upon initial operator engagement of thetrackball 150 which is sensed based on movement of the ball 150 and atime-delay function kicks off during which no cursor movement isaffected for a predetermined period of time. The failure to induce orotherwise prevent cursor movement is continued if the trackball 150moves into the selection zone 168 before expiration of the predeterminedtime-delay period. Because the trackball 150 must traverse thenavigation zone 167 before reaching the selection zone 168 (see FIG. 1),the time delay accommodates such traversal and prevents inadvertentcursor movement during the user actuation/depression process when thetrackball 150 is being used as a selection tool, and not a navigationtool.

As depicted in FIG. 1, the trackball 150 is located essentially betweenthe display screen 322 and the keyboard 332 when the device 300 is heldin the illustrated operable configuration, particularly the operableconfiguration for inputting text to the device 300.

In view of its wireless nature, in an exemplary embodiment, the handheldcommunication device transmits data to, and receives data from acommunication network utilizing radio frequency signals (see FIG. 18).

As depicted in FIGS. 5 through 9, the keyboard 332 comprises a pluralityof keys, in an alphabetic key arrangement 44, with which alphabeticletters are associated, one letter per key. The alphabetic letters areconfigured in one of a QWERTY (FIG. 5), QWERTZ (FIG. 6), and AZERTY(FIG. 7) layout.

Alternatively, and as depicted in FIGS. 14 through 17, the keyboard 332comprises a plurality of keys with which alphabetic letters areassociated and wherein at least a portion of the individual keys havemultiple letters associated therewith. Again, these alphabetic keyarrangements 44 can include QWERTY, QWERTZ, and AZERTY layouts.

In an alternative embodiment, a similar method is disclosed in which theuse of a trackball 150 as a navigation tool and a selection tool isfacilitated relative to information 172 presented on a display screen322 of the device 300. The method comprises providing a wirelesshandheld communication device 300 including at a front face thereof adisplay screen 322 located above a keyboard 332 suitable foraccommodating textual input to the device 300. The device 300 furtherincludes a depressible trackball 150 that functions as a navigation toolfor moving a cursor 171 about on the display screen 322, when rolled,and functions as a selection tool for selecting cursor-highlightedinformation 172 on the display screen 322 when sufficiently depressed.Cursor navigation is affected about the display screen 322 by digitallyengaging and rolling the trackball 150. Selection of highlightedinformation 172 on the display screen 322 is affected by digitallydepressing the trackball 150 into the device 300. Initial engagement ofthe trackball 150 is sensed based on movement thereof (up, down orrotational) and a time-delay function is instituted during which nocursor movement is affected for a predetermined period of time.

As before, prevention of cursor movement is continued if the trackball150 is depressed into a selection zone 168 indicating the user's desireto select designated (cursor-highlighted) information 172 on the displayscreen 322 before expiration of the predetermined time-delay period.Cursor movement is prevented by disregarding cursor movement signalsgenerated by one or more trackball rotational movement sensors 160, 162,164 and 166 when the trackball 150 is located in the selection zone 168.Disregard of cursor movement signals is accomplished using afilter-function associated with an integrated controller 338 of thewireless handheld communication device 300 that nullifies the cursormovement signals when the trackball 150 is located in the selection zone168. Furthermore, nullification of the cursor movement signals isaccomplished using one of an arithmetic-based filter-function or atime-based window filter-function.

In an alternative aspect, the present disclosure is directed to methodsand arrangements for facilitating diagonal cursor movement in suchenvironments as icon arrays 170 and spreadsheet grids on a displayscreen 322 of a relatively small, wireless handheld communication device300, variously configured as described above, such as that depicted inFIG. 1. One exemplary embodiment takes the form of a method foraffecting diagonal movement of a cursor 171 on the display screen 322 ofa handheld communication device 300. The method includes sensingmovement at an auxiliary user input 328 of the handheld communicationdevice 300 indicative of the user's desire to affect diagonal movementof the cursor 171 on the display screen 322 of the handheldcommunication device 300. X-direction signals and Y-direction signalsare produced based on the sensed movement at the auxiliary user input328. During that time while the necessary signals are being collectedand processed, the cursor 171 is held steady on the display screen 322until a predetermined criterion is met for discriminating whether theuser has indicated x-direction cursor movement, y-direction cursormovement or diagonal cursor movement. In that the processing istypically conducted by a processor 338 according to a resident computerprogram, the predetermined criterion is either a preset condition or auser definable condition, examples of which are discussed in greaterdetail hereinbelow. Finally, diagonal cursor movement is affected on thedisplay screen 322 of the handheld communication device 300 whendiagonal cursor movement is discriminated to have been user indicated.

As depicted in FIG. 18, the handheld communication device 300 transmitsdata to, and receives data from a communication network 319 utilizingradio frequency signals, the details of which are discussed more fullyhereinbelow. Preferably, the data transmitted between the handheldcommunication device 300 and the communication network 319 supportsvoice and textual messaging, though it is contemplated that the methodfor affecting diagonal cursor movement is equally applicable to singlemode devices; i.e. voice-only devices and text-only devices.

As may be appreciated from FIG. 1, the handheld communication device 300comprises a lighted display 322 located above a keyboard 332 suitablefor accommodating textual input to the handheld communication device 300when in an operable configuration. As shown, the device 300 is ofunibody construction, but it is also contemplated that the device may beof an alternative construction such as that commonly known as“clamshell” or “flip-phone” style. Regardless, in the operableconfiguration for the device 300, the auxiliary user input 328 islocated essentially between the display 322 and the keyboard 332.

In one embodiment, the keyboard 332 comprises a plurality of keys withwhich alphabetic letters are associated on a one letter per key basis.It is contemplated that the keys may be directly marked with theletters, or the letters may be presented adjacent, but clearly inassociation with a particular key. This one-to-one pairing between theletters and keys is depicted in FIGS. 12 and 13 and is described ingreater detail below in association therewith. In order to facilitateuser input, the alphabetic letters are preferably configured in afamiliar QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY, or Dvorak layout, each of which is alsodiscussed in greater detail hereinbelow.

In the alternative embodiment of FIG. 1, the keyboard 332 comprises aplurality of keys with which alphabetic letters are also associated, butat least a portion of the individual keys have multiple lettersassociated therewith. This type of configuration is referred to as areduced keyboard (in comparison to the full keyboard describedimmediately above) and can, among others, come in QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTYand Dvorak layouts.

As depicted in FIG. 2, the auxiliary user input is a trackball 150.Motion of the trackball 150 is assessed using a plurality of sensors160, 162, 164, 166 that quantify rotational motion of the trackball 150about an intersecting x-axis 152 and an intersecting y-axis 154 of thetrackball.

In one embodiment, the plurality of sensors 160, 162 number two. One ofthe two sensors 162 outputs signals indicative of x-component rollingmotion of the trackball 150 relative to the handheld communicationdevice 300 and about the intersecting y-axis 154 of the trackball (seethe rotational arrows about the y-axis in FIG. 2). The other of the twosensors 160 outputs signals indicative of y-component rolling motion ofthe trackball 150 relative to the handheld communication device 300 andabout the intersecting x-axis 152 of the trackball (see the rotationalarrows about the x-axis in FIG. 2). In this configuration, the twosensors 160, 162 are oriented radially about the trackball 150 withapproximately ninety degree spacing therebetween. In one embodiment,each of the sensors is a hall effect sensor located proximate thetrackball.

In another embodiment, the plurality of sensors 160, 162, 164, 166number four. A first pair of opposed sensors 162, 166 outputs signalsindicative of x-component rolling motion of the trackball 150 relativeto the handheld communication device 300 and about the intersectingy-axis 154. A second pair of opposed sensors 160, 164 outputs signalsindicative of a y-component rolling motion of the trackball 150 relativeto the handheld communication device 300 and about the intersectingx-axis 152. The four sensors 160, 162, 164, 166 are oriented radiallyabout the trackball 150 with approximately ninety degree spacing betweenconsecutive sensors as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Each produced x-direction signal represents a discrete amount ofx-component (incremental x-direction) rolling motion of the trackball150 relative to the handheld communication device 300 while eachproduced y-direction signal represents a discrete amount of y-component(incremental y-direction) rolling motion of the trackball 150 relativeto the handheld communication device 300.

In one embodiment, the predetermined criterion for discriminating userindicated x-direction cursor movement is identification of a thresholdnumber of x-direction signals in a predetermined signal sample. Forexample, out of a moving-window sample of 10 consecutive signals, six ormore must be x-signals in order to be indicative of desired x-directioncursor movement. Likewise, the predetermined criterion fordiscriminating user indicated y-direction cursor movement isidentification of a threshold number of y-direction signals in apredetermined signal sample. The same sampling example holds, butapplied to y-signals instead of x-signals. In a similar respect, thepredetermined criterion for discriminating user indicated diagonalcursor movement is identification of a threshold number of x-directionsignals and a threshold number of y-direction signals in a predeterminedsignal sample. For instance, out of a moving-window sample of 10consecutive signals, four or more must be x-signals and four or moremust be y-signals in order to be indicative of desired diagonal cursormovement.

In a more generic sense, it is pattern recognition software that isutilized to identify user indicated diagonal cursor movement based onanalysis of a predetermined signal sample.

Alternatively, a method is disclosed for affecting diagonal movement ofa highlighting cursor 171 amongst an array of icons 170 on a displayscreen 322 of a handheld communication device 300. Movement at anauxiliary user input 328 of the handheld communication device 300 issensed and which is indicative of the user's desire to affect diagonalmovement of the highlighting cursor 171 from a currently highlightedicon 172 on the display screen 322 to a diagonally located icon 174 onthe display screen 322 of the handheld communication device 300. Themovement is described as being “at” the auxiliary user input 328 tocover such situations as when the input is a touchpad or similar devicesince no portion of that type of input device actually moves, but theuser's finger indicatively moves relative thereto (across the touchpad).

As in the previously described method, x-direction signals andy-direction signals are produced based on the sensed movement at theauxiliary user input 328. Again, the highlighting cursor 171 is heldsteady on a presently highlighted icon 172 on the display screen 322while processing the x-direction signals and y-direction signals until apredetermined criterion is met for discriminating whether the user hasindicated movement to an icon left or right of the presently highlightedicon 172, above or below the presently highlighted icon 172, ordiagonally positioned relative to the presently highlighted icon 172.Diagonal movement of the highlighting cursor 172 is then affectedbetween diagonally positioned icons on the display screen 322 of thehandheld communication device 300 when diagonal cursor movement isdiscriminated to have been user indicated. In other respects, thisembodiment is similar to that which has been earlier described.

In yet another embodiment, the apparatus of a handheld communicationdevice 300 is disclosed that is capable of affecting diagonal movementof a highlighting cursor 171 amongst an array of icons 170 on a displayscreen 322 of the handheld communication device 300. The display screen322 is located above a keyboard 332 suitable for accommodating textualinput to the handheld communication device 300 and an auxiliary userinput 328 is located essentially between the display 322 and keyboard332. Sensors 160, 162 (164, 166) are provided that are capable ofsensing movement at the auxiliary user input 328 indicative of theuser's desire to affect diagonal movement of the highlighting cursor 171from a currently highlighted icon number 172 on the display screen 322to a diagonally located icon 174 on the display screen 322 of thehandheld communication device 300. The sensors produce x-directionsignals and y-direction signals based on the sensed movement at theauxiliary user input 328. A processor 338 is included that is capable ofanalyzing the produced x-direction signals and y-direction signals andoutputting a cursor control signal that holds the highlighting cursor171 steady on a presently highlighted icon 172 on the display screen 322during the processing and until a predetermined criterion is met fordiscriminating whether the user has indicated movement to an icon leftor right of the presently highlighted icon, above or below the presentlyhighlighted icon 172, or diagonally positioned relative to the presentlyhighlighted icon numeral and 72 and then affecting diagonal movement ofthe highlighting cursor number 171 between diagonally positioned iconson the display screen of the handheld communication device 300 whendiagonal cursor movement is discriminated to have been user indicated.

As mentioned hereinabove, there are situations in which the user willnot want the X and Y signals to be converted into diagonal movementgenerating signals. For example, when navigating a map scene or othertype of image, the finest directional movement possible from thenavigation tool will be most desired; otherwise the “collection” of Xand Y signals produces undesirable “jerky” cursor movement. Therefore,in at least one embodiment, the diagonal movement feature can be turnedon and off by the user, or is automatically set in dependence upon theapplication that is being cursor-traversed.

In another aspect, when non-use of the device 300 has been determined,the handheld electronic device 300 enters a power-saving mode. As anexample, non-use of the device 300 is detected when neither the device'sapplications nor its features have been utilized for a predeterminedlength of time. In yet another embodiment, the determination of non-useof the device 300 is based on a preselected period of time elapsingbetween sensor-detected movements of the ball 150 of the trackballnavigation tool 328. In another embodiment, a routine is used to detectwhen the device 300 is placed into an environment where use of thescreen 322 and auxiliary input 328 is no longer required, such as whenthe device 300 is placed in a holster or pocket of the user. In yetanother embodiment, the determination of non-use is based on useractuation of a preset key combination; preferably this is by depressingand holding the trackball navigation tool 328 for longer than a presettime period.

The key combination used to determine non-use of the device 300 can bepreset or user definable. If a preset key combination is implemented,the keys used to indicate non-use are a set of keys that would notnormally be entered by the user of the device 300. The key combinationmay further involve selecting a feature from a menu of items or an iconon the home screen of the device 300. The user defined key combinationpreferably informs the user that the device 300 is going into a non-usemode and allows exit thereof when the preset key combination is entered.

In one embodiment, a method for reducing power consumption duringperiods of non-use by the handheld electronic device 300 is disclosed.This method involves a power-saving mode that disables a sensor 160,162, 164, 166 that, as described above is used to detect motion of theball 150 of the trackball navigation tool 328. Furthermore, the powerconsumption can further be reduced through the use of a display screensleep mode. Preferably, the screen sleep mode is instituted beforedisablement of the sensors 160, 162, 164, 166. Thus, the powerconsumption is stepwise reduced in degree by an initial amountattributable to the institution of the display screen sleep mode. Anincremental increase in power-savings is experienced by disabling thesensors 160, 162, 164, 166.

Implementation of the power-savings mode is further described inrelation to the sensors 160, 162, 164, 166. When a device 300 implementsone or more sensors 160, 162, 164, 166 for detecting movement of thetrackball 150, power-savings can be realized through disabling one ormore of the available sensors 160, 162, 164, 166 on the device.Preferably, all sensors 160, 162, 164, 166 are disabled. When thesensors 160, 162, 164, 166 are disabled, rolling motion of the ball 150will not cause an exit from the power-savings mode because no motion isrecorded because the sensors 160, 162, 164, 166 are disabled.

In a further embodiment, the method disables the display screen 322 ofthe handheld 300 before disabling the sensor 160, 162, 164, 166. This isreferred to as a display screen sleep mode which reduces the powerconsumed by the device 300 because the screen 322 is not consumingpower. By first disabling the screen 322 and then disabling the sensor160, 162, 164, 166 it is possible to allow for an exit from the displayscreen sleep mode by moving the ball 150 of the trackball navigationtool 328. Thus, when motion of the ball 150 is detected before thesensor 160, 162, 164, 166 is effected, an exit from power-saving mode iseffected. This delay is appropriate to allow a user of the device 300 achance to abort entry into a power-saving mode, which may not be desiredat that time. Preferably, the user is informed of entry into thispower-savings mode by having the display 322 disabled before the sensor160, 162, 164, 166.

The screen sleep mode or power-saving mode can be exited through the useof a predefined routine. In a preferred embodiment, a preset wakeup keycombination is used to restore the device 300 to a use-mode. This presetwakeup key combination can take the form of select button and “*” insequential order. Another preferred key combination is depressing thetrackball 150 and pressing “*” simultaneously or sequentially. Other keycombinations are considered within the scope of this disclosure.Alternatively, the device 300 features a mechanism to detect theproximity of a human digit in relation to the trackball. When the digitis within a predefined distance from the trackball 150, the device 300detects the presence of the digit and the device 300 exits thepower-saving mode.

In another embodiment, a method for power consumption savings for ahandheld electronic device 300 having a trackball navigation tool 328 ispresented. This involves entering a screen sleep mode, receiving aninput from one of the sensors 160, 162, 164, 166 associated with thetrackball 150, and entering a low power display mode. This low powerdisplay mode utilizes the ability to reduce the intensity of the lightof the screen 322 in order to save power. Thus after the screen 322 wasput into a sleep mode in which the functionality of the device 300continues to operate and only the screen 322 is turned off, a selectioninput will cause the screen 322 to enter the low power state where itdoes not return to full brightness.

The input from the sensor used to exit the screen sleep mode can beeither a sensor 160, 162, 164, 166 or a selection sensor (not shown).Thus if a sensor 160, 162, 164, 166 is used to exit the screen sleepmode, a roll of the ball 150 such that it actuates one of the pluralityof sensors 160, 162, 164, 166 will exit the screen sleep mode. However,if the input is from the selection sensor merely rolling the ball 150will not exit the screen sleep mode. Using the selection sensor, willrequire a selection actuation of the navigation tool 328 in order toexit the screen sleep mode. Alternatively, other keys, combination ofkeys, combination of a key and navigation tool, or combination thereofmay be used to exit the screen sleep mode.

In an exemplary embodiment, the method of going from a power save modeto a full power mode is shown. Once the power save mode has beenactivated either by the user of the device 300 or by the device 300itself, the sensors 160, 162, 164, 166 are disabled. When a detection ofeither a key press or depression (selection operation) of the trackball150 is made, the device is put into a low power mode. Alternatively, oneof the above described inputs may be used to determine when to enter lowpower mode. Once the low power mode has been entered, the sensors 160,162, 164, 166 will be activated again. Once another actuation of thetrackball 150 or keys is detected the device will then enter full powermode.

Yet another embodiment is a handheld electronic device 300 having atrackball navigation tool 328 and being adapted to reduce powerconsumption during periods of non-use. The trackball navigation tool 328is the same as described above along with the sensor 160, 162, 164, 166,which is able to effect corresponding cursor movement on a displayscreen. The device 300 has a processor 338 that is capable of beingprogrammed to reduce power consumption during periods of non-use byinstituting a power-saving mode that disables the sensor 160, 162, 164,166 when non-use of the device 300 is determined.

The handheld electronic device 300 in one embodiment makes use of astandby mode to save power. This mode can be entered eitherautomatically by not detecting a level of activity for a given period oftime or through a key sequence. Some of the examples of the key sequencethat can be entered include depressing the power button for a shortamount of time (not long enough to turn off the device) or depressingthe mute key while not on a phone call. This standby mode can likewisebe exited through the same set of key presses or a different set whenstandby mode is no longer desired.

When the device 300 has entered the standby mode, the screen 322 is putinto a sleep mode in which the screen 322 is no longer illuminated. Thescreen 322 remains in this sleep mode unless the keys required to exitstandby mode are depressed. When entering the standby mode, a message ispresented on the display 322 informing the user that a standby mode isgoing to be entered and the key presses required to exit the mode. Thedevice 300 will, however, continue to receive messages and phone calls.If a phone call is received by the device 300, it can be answeredwithout exiting the standby mode or by temporarily disabling the standbymode. Once the phone call is finished the device 300 will again resumethe standby mode.

If the device 300 is subsequently put into a holster, the device 300will sense the holster position and this will override the standby mode.Thus, when the device 300 is holstered while in standby mode, it willrespond based upon the holster settings for the device 300. When removedfrom the holster it will resume normal operation and ignore the earlierentered standby mode operation. Likewise, if the device 300 is placedinto standby mode and the device 300 is also enabled with a securitytimeout mode, the device 300 will enter the security timeout mode at theappropriate time as controlled through the security timeout mode.

The motion of the navigation tool 328 commands a cursor to move on thedisplay screen 322 of a handheld electronic device 300. While “cursor”movement is referred to herein, it shall be appreciated that anyresultant motion that is directed by the navigation tool 328 iscontemplated. Other such motions include but are not limited toscrolling down through a view on a webpage and scrolling through menuoptions. It should be appreciated that all such types of navigationalmotion on the display screen 322 is exemplarily described herein interms of a cursor (such as a pointing arrow) movement across a displayscreen 322; however, those persons skilled in the art will alsoappreciate that “cursor” movement or navigation on a screen can also bedescriptive of successively highlighting presented menu items, screenicons and the like.

The handheld communication device 300 comprises a radio transmitter 318capable of transmitting data to a communication network 319 utilizingradio frequency signals and a radio receiver 312 capable of receivingdata from the communication network 319 utilizing radio frequencysignals.

Further aspects of the environments, devices and methods of employmentdescribed hereinabove are expanded upon in the following details. Anexemplary embodiment of the handheld electronic device as shown in FIG.1 is cradleable in the palm of a user's hand. The size of the device issuch that a user is capable of operating the device using the same handthat is holding the device. In a preferred embodiment, the user iscapable of actuating all features of the device using the thumb of thecradling hand. While in other embodiments, features may require the useof more than just the thumb of the cradling hand. The preferredembodiment of the handheld device features a keyboard on the face of thedevice, which is actuable by the thumb of the hand cradling the device.The user may also hold the device in such a manner to enable two thumbtyping on the device. Furthermore, the user may use fingers rather thanthumbs to actuate the keys on the device. In order to accommodatepalm-cradling of the device by the average person, it is longer (heightas shown in FIG. 1) than it is wide, and the width is preferably betweenapproximately fifty and seventy-six millimeters (two and three inches),but by no means limited to such dimensions.

The handheld electronic device includes an input portion and an outputdisplay portion. The output display portion can be a display screen,such as an LCD or other similar display device.

The input portion includes a plurality of keys that can be of a physicalnature such as actuable buttons or they can be of a software nature,typically constituted by virtual representations of physical key on adisplay screen (referred to herein as “software keys”). It is alsocontemplated that the user input can be provided as a combination of thetwo types of keys. Each key of the plurality of keys has at least oneactuable action which can be the input of a character, a command or afunction. In this context, “characters” are contemplated to exemplarilyinclude alphabetic letters, language symbols, numbers, punctuation,insignias, icons, pictures, and even a blank space. Input commands andfunctions can include such things as delete, backspace, moving a cursorup, down, left or right, initiating an arithmetic function or command,initiating a command or function specific to an application program orfeature in use, initiating a command or function programmed by the userand other such commands and functions that are well known to thosepersons skilled in the art. Specific keys or other types of inputdevices can be used to navigate through the various applications andfeatures thereof. Further, depending on the application or feature inuse, specific keys can be enabled or disabled.

In the case of physical keys, all or a portion of the plurality of keyshave one or more indicia displayed at their top surface and/or on thesurface of the area adjacent the respective key, the particular indiciarepresenting the character(s), command(s) and/or function(s) typicallyassociated with that key. In the instance where the indicia of a key'sfunction is provided adjacent the key, it is understood that this may bea permanent insignia that is, for instance, printed on the device coverbeside the key, or in the instance of keys located adjacent the displayscreen, a current indicia for the key may be temporarily shown nearbythe key on the screen.

In the case of software keys, the indicia for the respective keys areshown on the display screen, which in one embodiment is enabled bytouching the display screen, for example, with a stylus to generate thecharacter or activate the indicated command or function. Such displayscreens may include one or more touch interfaces, including atouchscreen. A non-exhaustive list of touchscreens includes, forexample, resistive touchscreens, capacitive touchscreens, projectedcapacitive touchscreens, infrared touchscreens and surface acoustic wave(SAW) touchscreens.

Physical and software keys can be combined in many different ways asappreciated by those skilled in the art. In one embodiment, physical andsoftware keys are combined such that the plurality of enabled keys for aparticular application or feature of the handheld electronic device isshown on the display screen in the same configuration as the physicalkeys. Thus, the desired character, command or function is obtained bydepressing the physical key corresponding to the character, command orfunction displayed at a corresponding position on the display screen,rather than touching the display screen. To aid the user, indicia forthe characters, commands and/or functions most frequently used arepreferably positioned on the physical keys and/or on the area around orbetween the physical keys. In this manner, the user can more readilyassociate the correct physical key with the character, command orfunction displayed on the display screen.

The various characters, commands and functions associated with keyboardtyping in general are traditionally arranged using various conventions.The most common of these in the United States, for instance, is theQWERTY keyboard layout. Others include the QWERTZ, AZERTY, and Dvorakkeyboard configurations of the English-language alphabet.

The QWERTY keyboard layout is the standard English-language alphabetickey arrangement 44 (see FIG. 5). In this configuration, Q, W, E, R, Tand Y are the letters on the top left, alphabetic row. It was designedby Christopher Sholes, who invented the typewriter. The keyboard layoutwas organized by him to prevent people from typing too fast and jammingthe keys. The QWERTY layout was included in the drawing for Sholes'patent application in 1878, U.S. Pat. No. 207,559.

The QWERTZ keyboard layout is normally used in German-speaking regions.This alphabetic key arrangement 44 is shown in FIG. 6. In thisconfiguration, Q, W, E, R, T and Z are the letters on the top left,alphabetic row. It differs from the QWERTY keyboard layout by exchangingthe “Y” with a “Z”. This is because “Z” is a much more common letterthan “Y” in German and the letters “T” and “Z” often appear next to eachother in the German language.

The AZERTY keyboard layout is normally used in French-speaking regions.This alphabetic key arrangement 44 is shown in FIG. 7. In thisconfiguration, A, Z, E, R, T and Y are the letters on the top left,alphabetic row. It is similar to the QWERTY layout, except that theletters Q and A are swapped, the letters Z and W are swapped, and theletter M is in the middle row instead of the bottom one.

The Dvorak keyboard layout was designed in the 1930s by August Dvorakand William Dealey. This alphabetic key arrangement 44 is shown in FIG.8. It was developed to allow a typist to type faster. About 70% of wordsare typed on the home row compared to about 32% with a QWERTY keyboardlayout, and more words are typed using both hands. It is said that ineight hours, fingers of a QWERTY typist travel about 16 miles, but onlyabout 1 mile for the Dvorak typist.

Alphabetic key arrangements in full keyboards and typewriters are oftenpresented along with numeric key arrangements. An exemplary numeric keyarrangement is shown in FIGS. 5-8 where the numbers 1-9 and 0 arepositioned above the alphabetic keys. In another known numeric keyarrangement, numbers share keys with the alphabetic characters, such asthe top row of the QWERTY keyboard. Yet another exemplary numeric keyarrangement is shown in FIG. 9, where a numeric keypad 46 is spaced fromthe alphabetic/numeric key arrangement. The numeric keypad 46 includesthe numbers “7”, “8”, “9” arranged in a top row, “4”, “5”, “6” arrangedin a second row, “1”, “2”, “3” arranged in a third row, and “0” in abottom row, consistent with what may be found on a known “ten-key”computer keyboard keypad. Additionally, a numeric phone key arrangement42 is also known, as shown in FIG. 10.

As shown in FIG. 10, the numeric phone key arrangement 42 may alsoutilize a surface treatment on the surface of the center “5” key. Thissurface treatment is such that the surface of the key is distinctivefrom the surface of other keys. Preferably the surface treatment is inthe form of a raised bump or recessed dimple 43. This bump or dimple 43is typically standard on telephones and is used to identify the “5” keythrough touch alone. Once the user has identified the “5” key, it ispossible to identify the remainder of the phone keys through touch alonebecause of their standard placement. The bump or dimple 43 preferablyhas a shape and size that is readily evident to a user through touch. Anexample bump or dimple 43 may be round, rectangular, or have anothershape if desired. Alternatively, raised bumps may be positioned on thehousing around the “5” key and do not necessarily have to be positioneddirectly on the key.

It is desirable for handheld electronic devices 300 to include acombined text-entry keyboard and a telephony keyboard. Examples of suchmobile communication devices include mobile stations, cellulartelephones, wireless personal digital assistants (PDAs), two-way pagingdevices, and others. Various keyboards are used with such devicesdepending in part on the physical size of the handheld electronicdevice. Some of these are termed full keyboard, reduced keyboard, andphone key pads.

In embodiments of a handheld electronic device having a full keyboard,only one alphabetic character is associated with each one of a pluralityof physical keys. Thus, with an English-language keyboard, there are atleast 26 keys in the plurality, one for each letter of the Englishalphabet. In such embodiments using the English-language alphabet, oneof the keyboard layouts described above is usually employed, and withthe QWERTY keyboard layout being the most common.

One device that uses a full keyboard for alphabetic characters andincorporates a combined numeric keyboard is shown in FIG. 12. In thisdevice, numeric characters share keys with alphabetic characters on thetop row of the QWERTY keyboard. Another device that incorporates acombined alphabetic/numeric keyboard is shown in FIG. 13. This deviceutilizes numeric characters in a numeric phone key arrangementconsistent with the ITU Standard E.161, as shown in FIG. 10. The numericcharacters share keys with alphabetic characters on the left side of thekeyboard.

In order to further reduce the size of a handheld electronic devicewithout making the physical keys or software keys too small, somehandheld electronic devices use a reduced keyboard, where more than onecharacter/command/function is associated with each of at least a portionof the plurality of keys. This results in certain keys being ambiguoussince more than one character is represented by or associated with thekey, even though only one of those characters is typically intended bythe user when activating the key.

Thus, certain software usually runs on the processor of these typeshandheld electronic device to determine or predict what letter or wordhas been intended by the user. Predictive text technologies can alsoautomatically correct common spelling errors. Predictive textmethodologies often include a disambiguation engine and/or a predictiveeditor application. This helps facilitate easy spelling and composition,since the software is preferably intuitive software with a large wordlist and the ability to increase that list based on the frequency ofword usage.

The software preferably also has the ability to recognize characterletter sequences that are common to the particular language, such as, inthe case of English, words ending in “ing.” Such systems can also“learn” the typing style of the user making note of frequently usedwords to increase the predictive aspect of the software. With predictiveeditor applications, the display of the device depicts possiblecharacter sequences corresponding to the keystrokes that were entered.Typically, the most commonly used word is displayed first. The user mayselect other, less common words manually, or otherwise. Other types ofpredictive text computer programs may be utilized with the keyboardarrangement and keyboard described herein, without limitation.

The multi-tap method of character selection has been in use a number ofyears for permitting users to enter text using a touch screen device ora conventional telephone key pad such as specified under ITU E 1.161,among other devices. Multi-tap requires a user to press a key a varyingnumber of times, generally within a limited period of time, to input aspecific letter, thereby spelling the desired words of the message. Arelated method is the long tap method, where a user depresses the keyuntil the desired character appears on the display out of a rotatingseries of letters.

A “text on nine keys” type system uses predictive letter patterns toallow a user to ideally press each key representing a letter only onceto enter text. Unlike multi-tap which requires a user to indicate adesired character by a precise number of presses of a key, orkeystrokes, the “text-on-nine-keys” system uses a predictive textdictionary and established letter patterns for a language tointelligently guess which one of many characters represented by a keythat the user intended to enter. The predictive text dictionary isprimarily a list of words, acronyms, abbreviations and the like that canbe used in the composition of text.

Generally, all possible character string permutations represented by anumber of keystrokes entered by a user are compared to the words in thepredictive text dictionary and a subset of the permutations is shown tothe user to allow selection of the intended character string. Thepermutations are generally sorted by likelihood of occurrence which isdetermined from the number of words matched in the predictive textdictionary and various metrics maintained for these words. Where thepossible character string permutations do not match any words in thepredictive text dictionary, the set of established letter patterns for aselected language can be applied to suggest the most likely characterstring permutations, and then require the user to input a number ofadditional keystrokes in order to enter the desired word.

The keys of reduced keyboards are laid out with various arrangements ofcharacters, commands and functions associated therewith. In regards toalphabetic characters, the different keyboard layouts identified aboveare selectively used based on a user's preference and familiarity; forexample, the QWERTY keyboard layout is most often used by Englishspeakers who have become accustomed to the key arrangement.

FIG. 14 shows a handheld electronic device 300 that carries an exampleof a reduced keyboard using the QWERTY keyboard layout on a physicalkeyboard array of twenty keys comprising five columns and four rows.Fourteen keys are used for alphabetic characters and ten keys are usedfor numbers. Nine of the ten numbers share a key with alphabeticcharacters. The “space” key and the number “0” share the same key, whichis centered on the device and centered below the remainder of thenumbers on the keyboard 14. The four rows include a first row 50, asecond row 52, a third row 54, and a fourth row 56. The five columnsinclude a first column 60, a second column 62, a third column 64, afourth column 66, and a fifth column 68. Each of the keys in the firstrow 50, second row 52, and third row 54 is uniformly sized while thekeys in the fourth, bottom row 56 have different sizes relative to oneanother and to the keys in the first three rows 50, 52, 54. The rows andcolumns are straight, although the keys in the fourth row 56 do notalign completely with the columns because of their differing sizes. Thecolumns substantially align with the longitudinal axis x-x of the device300.

FIG. 15 shows a handheld electronic device 300 that has an examplephysical keyboard array of 20 keys, with five columns and four rows. Anexploded view of the keyboard is presented in FIG. 16. Fourteen keys onthe keyboard 14 are associated with alphabetic characters and ten keysare associated with numbers. The four rows include a first row 50, asecond row 52, a third row 54, and a fourth row 56. The five columnsinclude a first column 60, a second column 62, a third column 64, afourth column 66, and a fifth column 68. Many of the keys have differentsizes than the other keys, and the rows are non-linear. In particular,the rows are V-shaped, with the middle key in the third column 64representing the point of the V. The columns are generally straight, butthe outer two columns 60, 62, 66, 68 angle inwardly toward the middlecolumn 64. To readily identify the phone user interface (the second userinterface), the numeric phone keys 0-9 include a color scheme that isdifferent from that of the remaining keys associated with the QWERTY keyarrangement.

In this example, the color scheme of the numeric phone keys has a twotone appearance, with the upper portion of the numeric keys being afirst color and the lower portion of the numeric keys being a secondcolor. In the example, the upper portion of the keys is white with blueletters and the lower portion of the keys is blue with white letters.Most of the remaining keys associated with the QWERTY key arrangementare predominantly the second, blue color with white lettering. The firstcolor may be lighter than the second color, or darker than the secondcolor. In addition, the keyboard 14 includes a “send” key 6 and an “end”key 8. The “send” key 6 is positioned in the upper left corner of thekeyboard 14 and the “end” key 8 is positioned in the upper right corner.The “send” key 6 and “end” key 8 may have different color schemes thanthe remainder of the keys in order to distinguish them from other keys.In addition, the “send” and “end” keys 6, 8 may have different colorsfrom one another. In the example shown, the “send” key 6 is green andthe “end” key 8 is red. Different colors may be utilized, if desired.

FIG. 17 shows a similar format for the reduced QWERTY arrangement ofalphabetic characters 44 as presented in FIG. 14, but the numeric phonekey arrangement 42 is positioned in the first 60, second 62, and third64 columns instead of being centered on the keyboard 14. The first row50 of keys includes in order the following key combinations for the textentry and telephony mode: “QW/1”, “ER/2”, “TY/3”, “UI”, and “OP”. Thesecond row 52 includes the following key combinations in order: “AS/4”,“DF/5”, “GH/6”, “JK”, and “L/.” The third row 54 includes the followingkey combinations in order: “ZX/7”, “CV/8”, “BN/9”, “M/sym” and“backspace/delete”. The fourth row 56 includes the following keycombinations in order: “next/*”, “space/0”, “shift/#”, “alt” and“return/enter”. The keys in each of the rows are of uniform size and therows and columns are straight.

Another embodiment of a reduced alphabetic keyboard is found on astandard phone keypad. Most handheld electronic devices having a phonekey pad also typically include alphabetic key arrangements overlaying orcoinciding with the numeric keys as shown in FIG. 11. Such alphanumericphone keypads are used in many, if not most, traditional handheldtelephony mobile communication devices such as cellular handsets.

As described above, the International Telecommunications Union (“ITU”)has established phone standards for the arrangement of alphanumerickeys. The standard phone numeric key arrangement shown in FIGS. 10 (noalphabetic letters) and 11 (with alphabetic letters) corresponds to ITUStandard E.161, entitled “Arrangement of Digits, Letters, and Symbols onTelephones and Other Devices That Can Be Used for Gaining Access to aTelephone Network.” This standard is also known as ANSI TI.703-1995/1999and ISO/IEC 9995-8:1994. Regarding the numeric arrangement, it can beaptly described as a top-to-bottom ascending orderthree-by-three-over-zero pattern.

The table below identifies the alphabetic characters associated witheach number for some other phone keypad conventions.

Mobile Phone Keypad Number on #11 #111 Key ITU E.161 Australia #1(Europe) (Europe) 1 QZ ABC ABC 2 ABC ABC ABC DEF DEF 3 DEF DEF DEF GHIGHI 4 GHI GHI GHI JKL JKL 5 JKL JKL JKL MNO MNO 6 MNO MNO MN PQR PQR 7PQRS PRS PRS STU STU 8 TUV TUV TUV

VWX 9 WXYZ WXY WXY XYZ YZ 0 OQZ

It should also be appreciated that other alphabetic character and numbercombinations can be used beyond those identified above when deemeduseful to a particular application.

As noted earlier, multi-tap software has been in use for a number ofyears permitting users to enter text using a conventional telephone keypad such as specified under ITU E 1.161 or on a touch screen display,among other devices. Multi-tap requires a user to press a key a varyingnumber of times, generally within a limited period of time, to input aspecific letter associated with the particular key, thereby spelling thedesired words of the message. A related method is the long tap method,where a user depresses the key until the desired character appears onthe display.

An exemplary handheld electronic device is shown in the assembly drawingof FIG. 3 and its cooperation in a wireless network is exemplified inthe block diagram of FIG. 18. These figures are exemplary only, andthose persons skilled in the art will appreciate the additional elementsand modifications necessary to make the device work in particularnetwork environments.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing some of the typical components foundin the assembly of the handheld electronic device. The construction ofthe device benefits from various manufacturing simplifications. Theinternal components are constructed on a single PCB (printed circuitboard) 102. The keyboard 332 is constructed from a single piece ofmaterial, and in a preferred embodiment is made from plastic. Thekeyboard 332 sits over dome switches (not shown) located on the PCB 102in a preferred embodiment. One switch is provided for every key on thekeyboard in the preferred embodiment, but in other embodiments more thanone switch or less than one switch per key are possible configurations.The support frame 101 holds the keyboard 332 and navigation tool 328 inplace above the PCB 102. The support frame 101 also provides anattachment point for the display (not shown). A lens 103 covers thedisplay to prevent damage. When assembled, the support frame 101 and thePCB 102 are fixably attached to each other and the display is positionedbetween the PCB 102 and support frame 101.

The navigation tool 328 is frictionally engaged with the support frame101, but in a preferred embodiment the navigation tool 328 is removablewhen the device is assembled. This allows for replacement of thenavigation tool 328 if/when it becomes damaged or the user desiresreplacement with a different type of navigation tool 328. In theexemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, the navigation tool 328 is a ball 121based device. Other navigation tools 328 such as joysticks, four-waycursors, or touch pads are also considered to be within the scope ofthis disclosure. When the navigation tool 328 has a ball 121, the ball121 itself can be removed without removal of the navigation tool 328.The removal of the ball 121 is enabled through the use of an outerremovable ring 123 and an inner removable ring 122. These rings 122, 123ensure that the navigation tool 328 and the ball 121 are properly heldin place against the support frame 101.

A serial port (preferably a Universal Serial Bus port) 330 and anearphone jack 140 are fixably attached to the PCB 102 and further heldin place by right side element 105. Buttons 130-133 are attached toswitches (not shown), which are connected to the PCB 102.

Final assembly involves placing the top piece 107 and bottom piece 108in contact with support frame 101. Furthermore, the assemblyinterconnects right side element 105 and left side element 106 with thesupport frame 101, PCB 102, and lens 103. These side elements 106, 105provide additional protection and strength to the support structure ofthe device 300. In a preferred embodiment, backplate 104 is removablyattached to the other elements of the device.

The block diagram of FIG. 18 representing the communication device 300interacting in the communication network 319 shows the device's 300inclusion of a microprocessor 338 which controls the operation of thedevice 300. The communication subsystem 311 performs all communicationtransmission and reception with the wireless network 319. Themicroprocessor 338 further connects with an auxiliary input/output (I/O)subsystem 328, a serial port (preferably a Universal Serial Bus port)330, a display 322, a keyboard 332, a speaker 334, a microphone 336,random access memory (RAM) 326, and flash memory 324. Othercommunications subsystems 340 and other device subsystems 342 aregenerally indicated as connected to the microprocessor 338 as well. Anexample of a communication subsystem 340 is that of a short rangecommunication subsystem such as BLUETOOTH® communication module or aninfrared device and associated circuits and components. Additionally,the microprocessor 338 is able to perform operating system functions andpreferably enables execution of software applications on thecommunication device 300.

The above described auxiliary I/O subsystem 328 can take a variety ofdifferent subsystems including the above described navigation tool 328.As previously mentioned, the navigation tool 328 is preferably atrackball based device, but it can be any one of the other abovedescribed tools. Other auxiliary I/O devices can include externaldisplay devices and externally connected keyboards (not shown). Whilethe above examples have been provided in relation to the auxiliary I/Osubsystem, other subsystems capable of providing input or receivingoutput from the handheld electronic device 300 b are considered withinthe scope of this disclosure.

In a preferred embodiment, the communication device 300 is designed towirelessly connect with a communication network 319. Some communicationnetworks that the communication device 300 may be designed to operate onrequire a subscriber identity module (SIM) or removable user identitymodule (RUIM). Thus, a device 300 intended to operate on such a systemwill include SIM/RUIM interface 344 into which the SIM/RUIM card (notshown) may be placed. The SIM/RUIM interface 344 can be one in which theSIM/RUIM card is inserted and ejected.

In an exemplary embodiment, the flash memory 324 is enabled to provide astorage location for the operating system, device programs, and data.While the operating system in a preferred embodiment is stored in flashmemory 324, the operating system in other embodiments is stored inread-only memory (ROM) or similar storage element (not shown). As thoseskilled in the art will appreciate, the operating system, deviceapplication or parts thereof may be loaded in RAM 326 or other volatilememory.

In a preferred embodiment, the flash memory 324 containsprograms/applications 358 for execution on the device 300 including anaddress book 352, a personal information manager (PIM) 354, and thedevice state 350. Furthermore, programs 358 and data 356 can besegregated upon storage in the flash memory 324 of the device 300.However, another embodiment of the flash memory 324 utilizes a storageallocation method such that a program 358 is allocated additional spacein order to store data associated with such program. Other knownallocation methods exist in the art and those persons skilled in the artwill appreciate additional ways to allocate the memory of the device300.

In a preferred embodiment, the device 300 is pre-loaded with a limitedset of programs that enable it to operate on the communication network319. Another program that can be preloaded is a PIM 354 application thathas the ability to organize and manage data items including but notlimited to email, calendar events, voice messages, appointments and taskitems. In order to operate efficiently, memory 324 is allocated for useby the PIM 354 for the storage of associated data. In a preferredembodiment, the information that PIM 354 manages is seamlesslyintegrated, synchronized and updated through the communication network319 with a user's corresponding information on a remote computer (notshown). The synchronization, in another embodiment, can also beperformed through the serial port 330 or other short range communicationsubsystem 340. Other applications may be installed through connectionwith the wireless network 319, serial port 330 or via other short rangecommunication subsystems 340.

When the device 300 is enabled for two-way communication within thewireless communication network 319, it can send and receive signals froma mobile communication service. Examples of communication systemsenabled for two-way communication include, but are not limited to, theGPRS (General Packet Radio Service) network, the UMTS (Universal MobileTelecommunication Service) network, the EDGE (Enhanced Data for GlobalEvolution) network, and the CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) networkand those networks generally described as packet-switched, narrowband,data-only technologies mainly used for short burst wireless datatransfer.

For the systems listed above, the communication device 300 must beproperly enabled to transmit and receive signals from the communicationnetwork 319. Other systems may not require such identifying information.A GPRS, UMTS, and EDGE require the use of a SIM (Subscriber IdentityModule) in order to allow communication with the communication network319. Likewise, most CDMA systems require the use of a RUIM (RemovableIdentity Module) in order to communicate with the CDMA network. The RUIMand SIM card can be used in multiple different communication devices300. The communication device 300 may be able to operate some featureswithout a SIM/RUIM card, but it will not be able to communicate with thenetwork 319. In some locations, the communication device 300 will beenabled to work with special services, such as “911” emergency, withouta SIM/RUIM or with a non-functioning SIM/RUIM card. A SIM/RUIM interface344 located within the device allows for removal or insertion of aSIM/RUIM card (not shown). This interface 344 can be configured likethat of a disk drive or a PCMCIA slot or other known attachmentmechanism in the art. The SIM/RUIM card features memory and holds keyconfigurations 351, and other information 353 such as identification andsubscriber related information. Furthermore, a SIM/RUIM card can beenabled to store information about the user including identification,carrier and address book information. With a properly enabledcommunication device 300, two-way communication between thecommunication device 300 and communication network 319 is possible.

If the communication device 300 is enabled as described above or thecommunication network 319 does not require such enablement, the two-waycommunication enabled device 300 is able to both transmit and receiveinformation from the communication network 319. The transfer ofcommunication can be from the device 300 or to the device 300. In orderto communicate with the communication network 319, the device 300 in apreferred embodiment is equipped with an integral or internal antenna318 for transmitting signals to the communication network 319. Likewisethe communication device 300 in the preferred embodiment is equippedwith another antenna 316 for receiving communication from thecommunication network 319. These antennae (316, 318) in anotherpreferred embodiment are combined into a single antenna (not shown). Asone skilled in the art would appreciate, the antenna or antennae (316,318) in another embodiment are externally mounted on the device 300.

When equipped for two-way communication, the communication device 300features a communication subsystem 311. As is well known in the art,this communication subsystem 311 is modified so that it can support theoperational needs of the device 300. The subsystem 311 includes atransmitter 314 and receiver 312 including the associated antenna orantennae (316, 318) as described above, local oscillators (LOs) 313, anda processing module 320 which in a preferred embodiment is a digitalsignal processor (DSP) 320.

A signal received by the communication device 300 is first received bythe antenna 316 and then input into a receiver 312, which in a preferredembodiment is capable of performing common receiver functions includingsignal amplification, frequency down conversion, filtering, channelselection and the like, and analog to digital (A/D) conversion. The A/Dconversion allows the DSP 320 to perform more complex communicationfunctions such as demodulation and decoding on the signals that arereceived by DSP 320 from the receiver 312. The DSP 320 is also capableof issuing control commands to the receiver 312. An example of a controlcommand that the DSP 320 is capable of sending to the receiver 312 isgain control, which is implemented in automatic gain control algorithmsimplemented in the DSP 320. Likewise, the communication device 300 iscapable of transmitting signals to the communication network 319. TheDSP 320 communicates the signals to be sent to the transmitter 314 andfurther communicates control functions, such as the above described gaincontrol. The signal is emitted by the device 300 through an antenna 318connected to the transmitter 314.

It is contemplated that communication by the device 300 with thewireless network 319 can be any type of communication that both thewireless network 319 and device 300 are enabled to transmit, receive andprocess. In general, these can be classified as voice and data. Voicecommunication is communication in which signals for audible sounds aretransmitted by the device 300 through the communication network 319.Data is all other types of communication that the device 300 is capableof performing within the constraints of the wireless network 319.

In the instance of voice communications, voice transmissions thatoriginate from the communication device 300 enter the device 300 thougha microphone 336. The microphone 336 communicates the signals to themicroprocessor 338 for further conditioning and processing. Themicroprocessor 338 sends the signals to the DSP 320 which controls thetransmitter 314 and provides the correct signals to the transmitter 314.Then, the transmitter 314 sends the signals to the antenna 318, whichemits the signals to be detected by a communication network 319.Likewise, when the receiver 312 obtains a signal from the receivingantenna 316 that is a voice signal, it is transmitted to the DSP 320which further sends the signal to the microprocessor 338. Then, themicroprocessor 338 provides a signal to the speaker 334 of the device300 and the user can hear the voice communication that has beenreceived. The device 300 in a preferred embodiment is enabled to allowfor full duplex voice transmission.

In another embodiment, the voice transmission may be received by thecommunication device 300 and translated as text to be shown on thedisplay screen 322 of the communication device 300. The communicationdevice 300 is also capable of retrieving messages from a voice messagingservice operated by the communication network operator. In a preferredembodiment, the device 300 displays information in relation to the voicemessage, such as the number of voice messages or an indication that anew voice message is present on the operating system.

In a preferred embodiment, the display 322 of the communication device300 provides an indication about the identity of an incoming call,duration of the voice communication, telephone number of thecommunication device, call history, and other related information. Itshould be appreciated that the above described embodiments are given asexamples only and one skilled in the art may effect alterations,modifications and variations to the particular embodiments withoutdeparting from the scope of the application.

As stated above, the communication device 300 and communication network319 can be enabled to transmit, receive and process data. Severaldifferent types of data exist and some of these types of data will bedescribed in further detail. One type of data communication that occursover the communication network 319 includes electronic mail (email)messages. Typically an email is text based, but can also include othertypes of data such as picture files, attachments and html. While theseare given as examples, other types of messages are considered within thescope of this disclosure as well.

When the email originates from a source outside of the device and iscommunicated to the device 300, it is first received by the receivingantenna 316 and then transmitted to the receiver 312. From the receiver312, the email message is further processed by the DSP 320, and it thenreaches the microprocessor 338. The microprocessor 338 executesinstructions as indicated from the relevant programming instructions todisplay, store or process the email message as directed by the program.In a similar manner, once an email message has been properly processedby the microprocessor 338 for transmission to the communication network319, it is first sent to the DSP 320, which further transmits the emailmessage to the transmitter 314. The transmitter 314 processes the emailmessage and transmits it to the transmission antenna 318, whichbroadcasts a signal to be received by a communication network 319. Whilethe above has been described generally, those skilled in this art willappreciate those modifications which are necessary to enable thecommunication device 300 to properly transmit the email message over agiven communication network 319.

Furthermore, the email message may instead be transmitted from thedevice 300 via a serial port 330, another communication port 340, orother wireless communication ports 340. The user of the device 300 cangenerate a message to be sent using the keyboard 332 and/or auxiliaryI/O 328, and the associated application to generate the email message.Once the email message is generated, the user may execute a send commandwhich directs the email message from the communication device 300 to thecommunication network 319. In an exemplary embodiment, a keyboard 332,preferably an alphanumeric keyboard, is used to compose the emailmessage. In a preferred embodiment, an auxiliary I/O device 328 is usedin addition to the keyboard 332.

While the above has been described in relation to email messages, oneskilled in the art could easily modify the procedure to function withother types of data such as SMS text messages, internet websites,videos, instant messages, programs and ringtones. Once the data isreceived by the microprocessor 338, the data is placed appropriatelywithin the operating system of the device 300. This might involvepresenting a message on the display 322 which indicates the data hasbeen received or storing it in the appropriate memory 324 on the device300. For example, a downloaded application such as a game will be placedinto a suitable place in the flash memory 324 of the device 300. Theoperating system of the device 300 will also allow for appropriateaccess to the new application as downloaded.

Exemplary embodiments have been described hereinabove regarding bothwireless handheld electronic devices, as well as the communicationnetworks within which they cooperate. It should be appreciated, however,that a focus of the present disclosure is the facilitation of anoperator to use a trackball-based auxiliary input device on the wirelesshandheld electronic device as both a navigation tool, as well as aselection tool. The present disclosure further contemplates thecombination of this facilitation with the described methods andarrangements for enabling diagonal cursor guidance using the trackball,as well as those methods and arrangements for conserving power on suchtrackball-incorporating handheld devices.

1. A method for facilitating use of a depressible trackball on awireless handheld communication device, said trackball functioning as anavigation tool for moving a cursor about on a display screen of thedevice when rolled and functioning as a selection tool for selectingcursor-highlighted information on the display screen when sufficientlydepressed, said method comprising: affecting cursor navigation aboutsaid display screen by: digitally engaging said trackball; maintainingsaid trackball in a navigation zone that spans a predefined depth intothe device from an unactuated position of said trackball; and causingcursor movement about said display screen by rolling said trackballwhile said trackball is located in said navigation zone; affectingselection of highlighted information on said display screen by:digitally depressing said trackball into a selection zone that is apredefined depth into the device below said navigation zone; andpreventing cursor movement by disregarding cursor movement signalsgenerated by one or more trackball rotational movement sensors when saidtrackball is located in said selection zone; said disregard of cursormovement signals accomplished using a filter-function associated with anintegrated controller of said wireless handheld communication devicethat nullifies said cursor movement signals when said trackball islocated in said selection zone.
 2. The method as recited in claim 1,wherein nullification of said cursor movement signals is accomplishedusing an arithmetic-based filter-function.
 3. The method as recited inclaim 1, wherein nullification of said cursor movement signals isaccomplished using a time-based window filter-function.
 4. The method asrecited in claim 1, further comprising: sensing whether said trackballis located in said navigation zone or said selection zone andimplementing a cursor-control routine via an integrated controller ofsaid wireless handheld communication device that is tailored for theparticular zone within which said trackball is sensed to be located. 5.The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: sensing initialengagement of said trackball based on movement thereof and instituting atime-delay function during which no cursor movement is affected for apredetermined period of time.
 6. The method as recited in claim 5,further comprising: continuing prevention of cursor movement if saidtrackball moves into said selection zone before expiration of saidpredetermined time-delay period.
 7. The method as recited in claim 1,wherein said handheld communication device includes a keyboard suitablefor accommodating textual input to the device, said trackball is locatedessentially between the display and keyboard in an operableconfiguration.
 8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein saidhandheld communication device transmits data to, and receives data froma communication network utilizing radio frequency signals.
 9. The methodas recited in claim 1, wherein motion of the trackball is assessed usinga plurality of sensors that quantify rotational motion of the trackballabout an intersecting x-axis and an intersecting y-axis of thetrackball.
 10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said handheldcommunication device includes a keyboard suitable for accommodatingtextual input to the device, said keyboard comprising a plurality ofkeys with which alphabetic letters are associated, one letter per key.11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said alphabetic lettersare configured in one of a QWERTY, QWERTZ, and AZERTY layout.
 12. Themethod as recited in claim 1, wherein said handheld communication deviceincludes a keyboard suitable for accommodating textual input to thedevice, said keyboard comprising a plurality of keys with whichalphabetic letters are associated and wherein at least a portion of theindividual keys have multiple letters associated therewith.
 13. Themethod as recited in claim 12, wherein said alphabetic letters areconfigured in one of a QWERTY, QWERTZ, and AZERTY layout.
 14. A methodfor facilitating use of a depressible trackball on a wireless handheldcommunication device, said trackball functioning as a navigation toolfor moving a cursor about on a display screen of the device when rolledand functioning as a selection tool for selecting cursor-highlightedinformation on the display screen when sufficiently depressed, saidmethod comprising: affecting cursor navigation about said display screenby digitally engaging and rolling said trackball; affecting selection ofhighlighted information on said display screen by digitally depressingsaid trackball into the device; sensing initial engagement of saidtrackball based on movement thereof; instituting a time-delay functionduring which cursor movement is prevented for a predetermined period oftime; and responsive to sensing that said trackball is depressed into aselection zone continuing prevention of cursor movement by disregardingcursor movement signals generated by one or more trackball rotationalmovement sensors when said trackball is located in said selection zone;said disregard of cursor movement signals accomplished using afilter-function associated with an integrated controller of saidwireless handheld communication device that nullifies said cursormovement signals when said trackball is located in said selection zone.15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein nullification of saidcursor movement signals is accomplished using at least one of anarithmetic-based filter-function and a time-based windowfilter-function.